Communication systems which employ portable data terminals for providing data message communications over conventional radio frequency (RF) channels are becoming more and more common in the industry. Typically, such RF data communication systems comprise a base station with full duplex capability, a network control processor (NCP), front end to a system host computer, and a plurality of portable radio data terminals operating in half-duplex mode.
With the recent proliferation of personal computing and communications platforms which employ microcomputers, and the advent of increasingly smaller, yet reliable RF modems, it would be extremely advantageous to incorporate paging-type functionality within conventional data terminal devices such as, but not limited to portable computers, personal computers, personal intelligent communicators and the like. Such an incorporation will eliminate the need for multiple device platforms and will permit a single device to provide both paging and computing functionalities.